Holidays

You may think that I’m giving you your gift a few weeks too early, but I figured you’d need some time to enjoy what I have to offer. 🙂

At this point, you’ve probably figured out that I LOVE using Red Heart patterns, which is why I’m giving you the gift of thirty (yes, THIRTY) fun-filled crochet and knit patterns for Christmas! I do hope you enjoy your present, and are as thrilled as I am to dive into Red Heart’s FREE eBook titled, “Decorate and Celebrate“! Go ahead. Click it so you can get some much needed R & R this weekend.

I’m going to work on the “Christmas Tree Wall Hanging,” featured on page 59 of “Decorate and Celebrate.” My kiddos are going to be SUPER excited to hang the itty-bitty mittons on the Christmas tree as each day of December comes closer to Christmas Day. Let me know what YOU’LL be working on this weekend in the Comment Section below. 🙂

I must say that Red Heart has some really AWESOME, free crochet patterns! Included is the pattern for Turkey Tom (pattern titled, “Tom Turkey“). I finished him up in a matter of hours, plopped him on my dinning table, and starred at him in awe. (Mind you, I dusted his inside fluff with my very own pumpkin pie spice mix- AKA: Gobble-Gobble Cologne! “WOW” is all I have to say.)

” He’s soo CUTE!” I constantly repeated in my head (and, thank God it was in my head!). So, I decided to make some friends for Turkey Tom and sell them. It was a great gig while it lasted! Many thanks to everyone who placed an order. 🙂

After all his pals were created, Turkey Tom sat on my dinning table, on top of my ‘squash cornucopia’ centerpiece, smiling. He was stuffed. He smelled oh-so tasty. He was GLORIOUS!

True! –nervous –very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses –not destroyed –not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily –how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

-Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart

Photo Taken by: Debra Lee

Three days until Halloween. THREE days, I say! And, you can’t enjoy the true nature of Halloween without Edgar Allen Poe. 🙂 I digress, so allow me to get back on track…

Peter-Paul (my DIY scarecrow) is stuck in the bushes outside with his pumpkin head laying crookedly to the left, the candy is hiding in the pantry (I can’t let my Little Goblins find it!), kiddos have their costumes ready, and my kitchen/dining table is decorated to the ‘nth’ degree with splashes of orange, black, lime green, and amethyst purple. Let’s not forget the crochet spider web table cover I made a few months ago (click here for the Red Heart pattern), which is why I’m typing up this brief blog.

Basically, the table cover looks absolutely fabulous! I added a small, round, black table cloth I purchased a my local Dollar Tree years ago underneath the table cover to give a nice contrast. Add some sparkle, a few owls, a mummy, pumpkin, and bow, and you’re done! Don’t be afraid to play around with different heights of your decor. It only adds more depth and interest. I’d definitely recommend this crochet pattern to everyone who loves Halloween and wants a conversation piece in their home for the month of October.

Tip: make your spider web table cover before the year is over so you don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs, waiting for Halloween 2016!

So my Friends, I hope my photos have inspired you to take some time to sit down and crochet a bit, and get ready for next year’s Halloween. I wish you all a very safe and oh-so spooooooky Halloween!

We’re almost TWO months away from the night when all the ghouls and goblins come out to play; the vampires flee their dark coffins to suck your blood, while the werewolves who were once men run wildly in the dark – hungry for anything and anyone who cross their path! Ghosts soar high in the sky and come back down every so often to say…

“BOO!”

What a spectacular night!

Amidst it all, children chuckle with glee and shriek when spooked. Some are dressed to resemble the Halloween creatures of the night, but they all have one thing in common – Halloween Loot Bags!

“Cupcake Bag” by Michele Wilcox is a super cute Halloween Loot Bag that will complement any little girl’s costume. (Click here for the “Cupcake Bag” crochet pattern.) It’s an ‘Easy’ level crochet pattern, and works up rather nicely. I will say that I found a few errors within the pattern, of which I will list below. But! Don’t let these tiny mistakes deter you from trying this pattern out! It’s THE perfect Halloween candy bag to add to your children’s Loot Bag collection. (Click here for Wilcox’s “Scary Skull Bag” pattern.)

I can’t wait to see my Little Ones using their Halloween Loot Bags! They’ll definitely stand out from the crowd of children, especially with their small flashlights inside their bags. Too cute!

Photo Taken by: Debra Lee

“Cupcake Bag” Crochet Pattern Errors:

Row 3: End with 51 sc, not 50 sc.

White Chain: Use Row 10, not Row 9.

Handle: Round 1 should say, ‘…in next 34 chs…’, not 33 chs.

Let me know how your cupcake Halloween Loot Bag turns out! Did you pick different colors for the frosting and hearts? I’m excited to hear from you!

Voices of a thousand years rise again unseen, Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!”

-Dexter Kozen

I stumbled across this really scary trick-or-treat bag while browsing through Redheart.com’s ‘Free Pattern’ section a few months ago and thought to myself, “PERFECTO! This will be great to make for one of my kiddos!” Not only will it save me some cash, but it’ll be a one-of-a-kind Halloween bag. It’s a win-win!

ALSO…! My son came up with a GENIUS idea. He tells me, “Look, Mommy! You can put a flashlight inside the bag to light it up!” HOW BRILLIANT! Be sure to see the photo below to see what the Halloween bag looks like lit up. It’s (the light) a great way to keep track of your child on Halloween night, too.

Lastly, the pattern is titled, “Scary Scull Bag” by Michele Wilcox. Click onScary Skull Bag by Michele Wilcox for the FREE pattern! It is rated as an “Easy” level, which means there is little shaping to be done. Honestly, I didn’t have much of an issues creating this spooky trick-or-treat bag. Though, the creation of the nose did confuse me a little (probably because I was soo tired when making it! Ha ha!). Just pay attention to the wording, and the nose will turn out fine. Looking at the photo helped me immensely (great for all of you visual learners!). Hope this trick-or-treat bag is on your Halloween crochet ‘To Do’ list! It’s a fun pattern to work on. 🙂 If you’d like to check out some more “Easy” level Halloween crochet patterns, click here. I have a list of them on a blog I previously typed up. Cheers!

Note: As I previously mentioned, I found the pattern on Redheart.com, but I just looked for it now, and it’s no longer available on their website. If you have any issues with the pattern file, please advise me in the Comment Box below!

After what seemed like years, I finally completed my Halloween spider web table topper (by Jessie Rayot)! Whew! What a sigh of relief! Now, don’t get me wrong. The pattern wasn’t difficult, just time consuming (especially if you have Little Ones running around the house!). Yes, I realize there was never a ‘middle’ part to “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider… Web!”. Let’s just say that the end was far better than the middle! Revisit the Red Heart pattern here to get yourself ready for the spookiest night of the year – Halloween!

Photo Taken by: Debra Lee

P.S.

I didn’t use the suggested orange color of yarn throughout because I wouldn’t have had enough, and figured I’d use what I had on hand. Sooo, I used black for the last row of the web. It actually made a nice contrast. 🙂 What color(s) will you make YOUR Spider Web Table Topper?

“Woo hoo Witchie Woman, see how high she flies. Woo hoo Witchie Woman, she got the moon in her eye.” – Eagles (Witchie Woman)

Photo taken by Debra Lee

I’ve brewed up a Witchie-Chic hat for all of you ladies out there. It’s a black beauty with an amethyst trim, and is as pointy of a Witch’s hat you’ll ever see! Though the thick, luxurious braided hair was omitted, this Witch’s hat makes the perfect addition to your ‘Witchie Woman’ costume!

This pattern was designed by Michele Wilcox, and is titled, “Bewitching Hat.” You can find the FREE crochet pattern here.

I’m currently working on a spider web table topper for Halloween, and am enjoying every second of it! It’s everything an awesome crochet pattern could be – super easy, fun, and can be used Halloween after Halloween. Seriously, what more can you ask from a crochet pattern?! Woo hoo!

Photo taken by: Debra Lee

The picture illustrates how the pattern is coming together after round two. Yes, it does look like a flower applique, but don’t worry! It’s only going to get bigger and bigger around, with more chain spaces added in between the “flower petals” (so-to-speak). Check out the pattern here. It’s a Red Heart pattern, so you know it’s good one! Stay tuned for the ‘Itsy-Bitsy Spider… Web!’ finale. 🙂

I spent a rainy afternoon crocheting for one of my favorite holidays: Halloween! What I ended up with was a green-faced monster with little black hair on his head, and two gray screws protruding from his neck! One name described him perfectly: FRANKENSTEIN!

EEEEEK!!!

Photo taken by: Debra Lee

The monster came to life in my hands within a few hours. I must admit that he was really easy to put together! Although the screw placement was a little off (I’d recommend placing them anywhere after Round 3 from “Complete Face Opening and Work Neck.”), Frankenstein can always be adjusted accordingly.

This pattern name is, “Frankenstein Hat,” designed by Snappy Tots. Red Heart Reflective yarn was recommended for this pattern, but I used Red Heart Super Saver and it worked just as great. It is an “Easy” rated pattern, which means there’s minimal shaping. Easy-peasy! Enjoy!